Systems and methods for client-side media chunking
AssigneeVuclip (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
InventorAreef Reza
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A computer implemented method of downloading one or more chunks of a selected media file from a server to a computing device is provided. A client application resides on the computing device and is configured to obtain a metadata file describing how the selected media file may be chunked, to determine, based on the metadata file, the portion of the selected media file to download, and to download the portion. The client application prepares a local media file corresponding to one or more chunks of the downloaded portion of the selected media file, and facilitates playback of the local media file on the computing device. The time interval of the chunk may be selected based on a suitable chunk time interval for the computing device.
Claims19
A computer implemented method of downloading and preparing one or more chunks of a selected media file for playback on a client computing device, comprising the of the following steps that are performed by the client computing device:
- a) identifying a pre-selected client-side chunk time interval for media playback on the computing device;
- b) receiving input selecting a media segment;
- c) identifying a location of a selected media file containing the media segment;
- d) identifying a location of a metadata file associated with the selected media file, the metadata file including metadata specifying how the media file may be chunked according to different chunk sizes based on the encoding scheme of the media file;
- e) downloading the metadata file;
- f) determining, based on the metadata file and the media segment, a portion of the selected media file to download, wherein the portion of the selected media file has a time offset, and wherein a time duration of the portion of the selected media file is greater than or equal to that of one or more chunks;
- g) downloading the portion of the selected media file;
- h) preparing one or more local media files from the portion of the selected media file, wherein each local media file includes one chunk;
- and
- i) determining, based on the metadata file, a suitable header for each local media file, and prepending the each header to each local media file;
- wherein pre-selected client-side chunk time interval is identified in absence of input from the server;
- wherein the pre-selected client-side chunk time interval is specific to the type of client computing device, and
- wherein the pre-selected client-side chunk time interval is based on a relationship between chunk time interval and playback quality for the type of client computing device.
A non-transient computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions for downloading one or more chunks of a selected media file to a client computing device, wherein execution of the instructions by one or more processors of the client computing device causes the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:
- identifying a pre-selected client-side chunk time interval for media playback on the client computing device;
- receiving input selecting a media segment;
- identifying a location of a selected media file containing the media segment;
- and
- identifying a location of a metadata file associated with the selected media file, the metadata file specifying how the media file may be chunked according to different chunk sizes based on the encoding scheme of the media file;
- downloading the metadata file;
- determining, based on the metadata file and the media segment, a portion of the selected media file to download, wherein the portion of the selected media file has a time offset, and wherein a time duration of the portion of the selected media file is greater than or equal to that of one or more chunks;
- downloading the portion of the selected media file;
- preparing one or more local media files from the portion of the selected media file, wherein each local media file includes one chunk;
- and
- determining, based on the metadata file, a suitable header for each local media file, and prepending the each header to each local media file;
- wherein pre-selected client-side chunk time interval is identified in absence of input from the server;
- wherein the pre-selected client-side chunk time interval is specific to the type of client computing device, and
- wherein the pre-selected client-side chunk time interval is based on a relationship between chunk time interval and playback quality for the type of client computing device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.